


Like Father, Like Son

by UchihanoChidori



Series: Like Father, Like Son [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Family, Kissing, M/M, One Shot, One-Sided Attraction, Platonic Romance, Romance, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 04:29:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5077837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UchihanoChidori/pseuds/UchihanoChidori
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Uzumaki Boruto had the biggest crush on his teacher, Uchiha Sasuke. However, seeing his father interacting with said teacher has shown him that certain things aren't erased with time, and that Sasuke's heart will never be his. One-sided BoruSasu, full SasuNaruSasu.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Father, Like Son

**Author's Note:**

> This is AU one-sided BoruSasu with heavy SasuNaruSasu moments and feelings. Don't take this too seriously, this was just me being a brat and needing to write something like this. I enjoyed it, too, but while it was supposed to be funny, as per usual, it ended up being filled with feels and a drama fest. But… well, it's the good kind of drama, I suppose?
> 
> Also, I dedicate this to team7s from tumblr because… well, you know why ;) I told you I'd write this, didn't I?
> 
> Also, letsusura, also from tumblr, because of her BoruSasu page and all the feels and inspiration it gave me.
> 
> Also, I dedicate it to all of you out there who love SNS and find the idea of a young Boruto with a crush on Sasuke adorable. We are few, but we are mighty powerful!
> 
> Not beteaed!
> 
> If you come across this story and don't like the pairings, please don't read and refrain from being an ass with your unwanted opinion.
> 
> ENJOY!

** Like Father, Like Son **

 

Uzumaki Boruto didn’t know whether to love or hate this unknown feeling that was clawing at his insides, consuming him from up and down. He couldn’t sleep, he could barely eat, and his head was a complete mess with all sorts of thoughts and desires that he had no idea how to deal with.

Truth be told, never in a million years would he think that he would be in such a position and yet, here he was, sitting in this God forsaken classroom, and he couldn’t tear his brilliant blue eyes away from _him._

Lucky for him he was in class, so he could easily get away with it since the object of his unwavering focus was, in fact, his history teacher – someone he was supposed to stare at and pay attention to. Of course he wasn’t paying attention to a single word that came out of that perfect mouth, but he enjoyed the low, smooth and firm voice, anyway – it was like music to his ears and made funny things happen to his stomach and lower parts.

God, was the damned guy hot in every sense. He made Boruto’s teenage hormones go crazy without effort.

Perfect, athletic body figure, dark stylish hair, casual but well-fitting clothes and a perfect face. The man looked like he could be some sort of model or a celebrity but alas, he was a teacher, and a very efficient, smart and serious one at that.

Needless to say that Uchiha Sasuke was one of the most popular teachers at Boruto’s high school. Everybody and their mothers had a crush on him. Boruto, of course, was no exception.

He had no idea how it had started, or why. He admired Uchiha-sensei’s proficiency, and even though the man was harsh when needed and took no bullshit from anyone, he was a good teacher and very dedicated to his students’ proper education. Boruto had always sucked at history in spite of being awesome at every other subject, and yet, his grades had improved considerably since Uchiha-sensei had arrived at the school, but that was probably because of the ridiculous amount of time he spent in the man’s office, being _personally_ tutored by him.

The man was… surprisingly patient. Boruto’s first goal had been to spend as much time with his teacher as possible, but soon, seeing how much time Sasuke (how he boldly addressed him in his mind) spent with him, making sure he learned everything correctly, Boruto had genuinely wanted to start improving himself and become a good student that he could be proud of.

He just… genuinely like the guy, stoic as he might be. At 16, Boruto wasn’t oblivious to sex. Thanks to his father, his mind had always been rather open, but he had always been into girls. He was far from being a virgin, so knowing that he was attracted to a guy – especially one that was old enough to be his father – was definitely a surprise to him. He didn’t think that made him completely gay, though, and oddly enough, it didn’t bother him that Sasuke gave him a boner at all.

Boruto knew Sasuke tutored other students as well, but he didn’t know if he wasted as much time as he did with him. After all, Boruto was the son of one of his colleagues and, apparently a long lost friend from the past.

Boruto’s father, Uzumaki Naruto, was a Math teacher at the same school, but thankfully, he wasn’t his teacher. Sasuke had only started teaching at the school a few months previously, but it had been obvious that he and Naruto hadn’t seen each other in years. Still, everybody and their mothers knew they got along well, even if they sometimes were seen bickering.

Still, they mainly kept their relationship casual, only talking when at school, at least that Boruto knew of, which was a relief. Boruto was already annoyed enough at his dad for always getting on Sasuke’s personal space. It was no secret for Boruto that his dad seemed to have his eyes set on the man. Thankfully, Sasuke seemed oblivious to this.

Sasuke was also a parent to one of his classmates: Uchiha Sarada. She had inherited Sasuke’s brains and good-looks, but she had a poor fashion sense and was kind of nerdy. She was a good friend with whom Boruto had shared family stories since they both had gone through family tragedies, and even if they were of different natures, they had bonded over them all the same.

Boruto liked her because she was not as girly as other girls, but unfortunately, she had a crush on him. She had openly admitted this to him without any sort of expectations, so she didn’t seem upset when Boruto told her that he couldn’t really see her in such a light. Well, many girls had crushes on him, but… she was the daughter of the guy he liked. Just thinking about dating her seemed atrocious. Not that he wouldn’t consider it if things had been different since they did have a good relationship as friends. But things were as they were at this point.

The bell rang loudly, indicating the end of the class and making Boruto come to his senses to see everyone getting up. A group of girls immediately made their way to Sasuke’s desk. Just great, now those chicks would follow him around everywhere and it would be impossible for Boruto to find him alone.

He’d been wanting to confess his feelings for a while now, but Sasuke was always surrounded by people, and even when he was tutoring Boruto in his office, he always had an effective way of evading topics unrelated to school that made it impossible to talk about other things.

It wasn’t like Boruto was expecting anything from Sasuke, but it wasn’t like it didn’t affect him anyway. He was aware of how great their age difference was, and while he definitely wanted to do something so Sasuke at least knew his intentions for future reference, he was sure he wouldn’t be taken seriously at all.

He didn’t even know _how_ to express himself or what he could possibly say.

With a huff, Boruto got out of his seat and frowned heavily at the image of his teacher surrounded by hysterical girls pretending to have all sorts of questions pulled out of their asses at the last minute. He shoved his hands inside his pockets. Uchiha Sarada passed by him with an exasperated scowl towards her father before leaving the classroom with her friends.

Scrunching up his face in annoyance, Boruto raised his foot and promptly kicked his chair to the side so hard it toppled over and travelled its way across the floor until it collided with the desk by the window. The violent sound startled everyone still in the room, who turned to him with surprise. The girls stopped pestering Sasuke to look over their shoulders, but Sasuke merely raised an unimpressed eyebrow. A few of his schoolmates were eying Boruto with confusion, but he kept on looking at his teacher, feigning a slight, arrogant boredom.

“Uzumaki,” Sasuke said, his voice low and calm, but no less deep. It made pleasant chill run down the boy’s back.

“Yes, Sensei?” Boruto asked, innocently.

“What, _exactly_ , do you think you’re doing?”

“Nothing.”

Sasuke seemed even less impressed by his nonchalance, his eyes showing a flash of irritation. “Is there a reason as to why you have decided to kick inanimate objects in my classroom?”

“No reason,” Boruto replied, with a shrug. “I just felt like it.”

“Well, then. I guess I’m in the right to _feel like_ seeing you in my office in ten,” his teacher said, in a smoothly firm, yet demanding tone that left no room for argument and that promised repercussions if his wishes were not obeyed.

Boruto almost smiled in triumph.

_Nailed it._

Still, all he did was heave a fake sigh of resignation.

“Fine.”

000

The office was nothing but a small plain room with a single window, two desks and a few useless decorations here and there. His teacher had no personal items there considering it was a room used by him and another teacher (who wasn’t present at the moment), and really, Sasuke was just the type of person who didn’t indulge in normal human beings’ behaviour, so there wasn’t even a picture of his daughter on said desk.

Sometimes, Boruto wanted to ask why this was, or why it felt like Sasuke and Sarada had such a distant relationship, but he knew it wasn’t his place to do so. Sasuke loved his daughter, that much was obvious, and so did Sarada love him, but it seemed like they had a distant relationship in the past, or so Sarada had told him.

“You wanted to see me, Sensei?” Boruto asked, stepping inside the small space after finding the door opened. He carefully walked towards the desk behind which Sasuke was sitting, looking at him over his black rimmed glasses, head tilted down. He seemed to have been writing something down on a notebook, because he tapped the tip of the pen against the paper.

“Trust me, having you here every single day, interrupting my break, is far from being in my daily wish list,” Sasuke said, sounding only slightly annoyed. “What is it with the attitude? You’ve become a good student, even your behaviour has changed, and yet you are constantly pulling unnecessary childish stunts day after day.”

Without asking for permission, Boruto took the vacant chair across the table from his teacher. “I just kicked a few chairs,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back defiantly. “It’s not like it’s a big deal.”

Putting the pen down, Sasuke frowned.

“I don’t know whether to believe that you actually enjoy playing the part of the angry rebellious kid to piss me off, or if you genuinely enjoy this office that much.”

“Maybe it’s a bit of both?” Boruto couldn’t help but tease with a smirk. “Don’t look at me like that, you look funny.”

“I’m not laughing.” And in fact, Sasuke’s expression became deadly serious and frankly disappointed, and it wiped Boruto’s smirk off his face in an instant.  “Why did you do it? And don’t tell me you felt like it again or I’ll be _very_ angry.”

In spite of himself, Boruto felt his cheeks catch fire and a familiar guilt making his stomach churn. He did these things on purpose, solely to be able to have Sasuke’s time and attention, but he didn’t like it that it made his teacher angry. He didn’t want Sasuke to think that he was that empty-headed or that his motives were just stupid.

“Look, I had questions about today’s lecture, but all those girls surrounded you and I just knew I wouldn’t be able to ask them to you anymore; so I got pissed,” he lied, pouting and looking away to a vase in the corner of the room.

“Do you understand how immature that behaviour was?” Sasuke pressed on, his voice still firm but with a softer tone to it, and yet, he didn’t hold back. “Do you understand that you’re too old to be acting like a spoiled brat?”

“Yes,” Boruto mumbled, cringing slightly because he knew Sasuke was right. “I’m sorry, Sensei.”

He heard Sasuke sigh impatiently. “You keep apologizing, but you always go back to being an idiot.”

In spite of himself, Boruto chewed on his lower lip, feeling upset. There was no way that he could just be blunt about his reasons, but _not_ letting Sasuke know that he wasn’t just a rebellious idiot wasn’t an option either, because he didn’t want his teacher having this idea of him when he had tried so hard to be noticed.

“It’s you who don’t believe that I enjoy spending breaks in your office,” he whispered in a small breath, still not meeting his teacher’s eyes. However, Sasuke’s hearing was as formidable as everything else about him.

“Stop trying to be funny,” he said, his tone becoming reproachful.

This time, Boruto did look straight into the man’s dark, intense eyes without blinking, needing him to understand how deadly serious he was.

“I’m not trying to be funny, it’s the truth.”

Sasuke merely eyed him with narrowed eyes for a few seconds before heaving another sigh. Boruto was sure Sasuke had understood the meaning behind his words, but as any good teacher, he wouldn’t press the issue. Also, as a man _and_ an adult, Sasuke surely new better than to take him seriously, as expected.

Boruto felt disappointment invade his heart when Sasuke removed his glasses and placed them on the table with fascinatingly elegant gestures.

“So, what questions did you have?” The man asked, in a surprisingly patient and casual tone.

“Huh?”

“You said you had questions about the lecture,” the man pressed on. “I’m willing to help you now.”

Well, that had been unexpected, and Boruto couldn't find something out of the blue to say if his life depended on it. “I am too annoyed, now I can’t remember anymore.”

“Is that so?” Sasuke inquired knowingly, observing the nervous way the boy uncrossed his arms and rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants. “Boruto, seriously. You know I’m willing to help you with anything you need, and to a certain extent, I go a little further for you than I go with my other students…”

“Yes, because you are friends with my dad,” Boruto snapped, unable to hold himself back.

A quick flicker of emotion crossed the man's eyes, but was soon tactfully hidden.

“That’s not exactly accurate,” Sasuke said, still as composed as ever even though he had clearly noticed the bitterness in the boy's words.

“Well, you two get along, don’t you?” Boruto insisted, very annoyed by what he had seen in Sasuke’s eyes at the mention of his father.  

”Yes, well, that is not what we are discussing at this particular moment,” Sasuke dismissed easily, ready to put an end to the conversation.  “The issue is; I can’t keep calling you out about useless things such as these just because you have unjustified whims. I’ve been very soft on you so far, but if I come across another one of your tantrums, it’s straight to the headmistress’s office. Do you understand?”

Yes, he understood, but that didn't make him feel any less frustrated.

“Yes, Sensei.”

“Now, go enjoy the rest of your break, and behave yourself." The warning was light hearted and given in a gentler note as Boruto resignedly got up from the chair and made his way to the door with his hands inside his pockets.  “And be smarter if you want to smoke in the school grounds, punk. At least be discreet about it.”

Again, Boruto felt his cheeks warming up unavoidably, but this time it wasn’t from embarrassment but rather from happiness – Sasuke had been paying more attention to him than he had thought, and even though it wasn’t much, it was something.

“Nee, Sensei?” he called out, looking over his shoulder at Sasuke’s questioning look. “I’m really sorry for always being such a nuisance, but the truth is, I really respect and admire you, and I really appreciate all your dedication. Thanks to you, my grades have improved.”

“You don’t have to thank me, it’s my job as a teacher,” Sasuke said, with a formal nod, linking the fingers of both hands over the desk.

“I…” The teen struggled to find the right words without being inappropriate so as to not push the man away. “What I really mean to say is that… Sensei, I really like being around you.”

Would Sasuke respond this time? Had he been direct enough? Would Sasuke offer at least a small opening so Boruto could finally tell him how he felt and express his desires and his hopes?

Would he allow Boruto to at least tell him that he'd wait until he was old enough to confess properly and be taken seriously?

Sasuke watched him again, simply but as intensely as always. There was acknowledgement in his intelligent eyes, understanding, but his feelings and thoughts had been closed and his walls had been put up. “Thank you, Boruto,” he muttered, way too politely. “Although, I’m sure we’d be able to enjoy each other’s company more if I wasn’t forced to be scolding you all the time.”

Argh, that man was going to drive him fucking crazy!

“No, wait, that’s not what I…!”

_“Sasuke!”_

Suddenly, a mop of unruly blond hair much like Boruto’s peeked from the hallway into the room with a huge and rather idiotic grin that sort of disappeared instantly at seeing the boy. “Ah, Boruto, you’re here? You’re not pestering Sasuke again, are you?”

“No,” Boruto snapped irritably as his father unceremoniously walked past him to enter the room while patting the top of his head.

“Well, get going then, your teacher and I have stuff we need to discuss," Naruto said, pushing at Boruto’s back.

“Hey!” The boy protested, trying to fight his dad’s persistent pushing but to no avail as he found himself in the hallway all the same, feeling himself fuming.

“Just get the hell out, squirt, I don’t have time for your tantrums,” Naruto dismissed, again in a surprising good mood, now reaching out a hand to ruffle his hair. Boruto was going to slap his hand away, but just then, his father leaned forward, and before he could stop him, pressed a small kiss to Boruto’s forehead that he immediately and disgustedly wiped clean with his sleeve.

The proximity, though, had allowed Naruto to take a good whiff at his son. He made a displeased face. “You smell funny,” he said, disapprovingly. “Have you been smoking again?”

Had both his father and his teacher decided to pick up on him on purpose?

“It’s none of your business,” Boruto hissed, annoyed. His dad knew he smoked, but he didn’t know Boruto did it just to spite him – it wasn’t like he disliked the thing, but it wasn’t something he needed or even enjoyed that much, either.

“We’ll talk at home,” Naruto promised, sounding more than a bit threatening before sliding the door of the room closed in Boruto’s face.

“That shitty old man!” Boruto hissed under his breath, his fists clenched. His dad always had this habit of getting in the way of him and Sasuke, and that was something that irritated him to no end. He hated how Naruto was always chasing after his co-worker, and more than that, he hated how Sasuke _always_ ended up indulging him.

In the hallway, a few students passed by him, distracted with their own issues or conversations, but that didn’t stop Boruto from shamelessly pressing his hands to the door and sliding it carefully back open, just a tiny bit so he could peak inside with a single eye and see what was going on in there. He had always been curious to know what, exactly, was the nature of his father’s relationship with his teacher and now was just the right moment to figure it out.

“Naruto, we seriously need to talk about your son’s behaviour,” Sasuke was saying, leaning back in his chair and looking up as Naruto sat down in the edge of the desk, next to him. From this position, Boruto could see Sasuke’s face perfectly, but his dad had his back to him.

Well, in private they called each other by their first names, which was something they didn’t when in public.

 “What did he do this time, kick some chairs?” Naruto asked, with a small, carefree chuckle. “He does that all the time when he wants attention, but mostly he’s just being a brat.”

Boruto felt a little ashamed – and also annoyed – that his dad knew had used such an accurate explanation for his actions.

“That doesn’t mean his attitude doesn’t need a bit of fixing,” Sasuke reproached while making a face. “I mean, I like him, he’s a good kid, but he can’t keep on kicking chairs every time things don’t go his way.”

“He’s been a lot better since you started teaching here, trust me,” Naruto said, his tone unexpectedly gentle and content. “Because of you, he’s changed a lot. He has you in high esteem so… I’m sure soon enough he’ll stop being this way, even if just to impress you. I’m sure you’ve given him a piece of his mind enough times already.”

“Somehow, I find that concerning.” Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, looking suddenly tired. Boruto noticed that his dad seemed to be watching him for a bit.

“Well, he has a crush on you, what did you expect?”

Boruto almost chocked on his own saliva. His father knew?! How?! What had he done to be so obvious when he hadn’t even said a word about it to another living soul?

Besides, it wasn’t a fucking _crush_!

In spite of himself, the boy swallowed hard, something painful clawing at his chest. After devastation struck their family, it had been very difficult for Naruto to organize life with two kids, and things had been pretty shaky for a while, not to mention that the relationship between the three of them had seemed to go downhill. Nowadays, both Boruto and his little sister, Himawari, were older and more capable of taking care of themselves than before, but some things in the past had been complicated, and those issues from back then, those things that had been broken back then were just slowly – very slowly – being put back together now.

His father still worked a lot, and he spent more time at home doing things around the house and yelling at them than anything else, so Boruto had this notion that Naruto didn’t even look at them or pay proper attention to their moods or needs, but…

Out of everyone that surrounded him, out of everyone that he thought knew him well, Naruto had been the one to understand the reality of his feelings for Sasuke.

And for some reason… Boruto didn’t know if this made him feel embarrassed beyond himself or immensely happy.

Sasuke cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. “Please, let’s not talk about it.”

“He seems pretty serious, to be honest, so you should at least acknowledge his feelings,” Naruto teased, reaching out a hand to tug at a strand of Sasuke’s dark bangs. Such a casual, yet intimate action. It made Boruto’s heart beat up unexpectedly faster for some reason.

“Acknowledging something like that would be the same as giving him false hope and cheering him on,” Sasuke retorted, his frown deepening. “And the gods only know what ideas that might give him.”

“That’s just teenage love isn’t it? Surely he’ll get over it sooner or later,” Naruto said, and from his tone, Boruto could tell he was grinning. “More importantly, when will you be going out for coffee with _me_?”

As Sasuke looked up at the blond man again, his eyes softened to something almost… regretful but… anxious. “Naruto, we’ve already talked about this. We’re colleagues, it’s not ethical.”

“Going out for coffee is not ethical?” Naruto laughed a bit. “Since when? And what does our profession have to do with our personal lives?”

“We could be in trouble.”

“It’s just a casual date, Sasuke.”

Boruto’s breath caught in his throat as those two shared a silent look. He couldn’t see his father’s eyes, but what he saw in Sasuke’s was enough to tell him that whatever it was that they were silently telling each other, it was mutually understood.

Boruto had understood that those two had a good relationship. He had seen them walking the hallways together, and sometimes eating together in the cafeteria even, but it had seemed very vague. He had not been naïve to the point of not noticing his father’s obvious interest because Naruto wore his emotions on his sleeve, but now he understood that there was more to that he had failed to see. It wasn’t just one-sided at all, like he had thought.

“Naruto…” Sasuke’s tone, the way he said that name left no room for doubts in Boruto’s mind as to what, exactly, Sasuke’s feelings for his father were, but there was a bit of poorly concealed sadness in those beautiful eyes. “I don’t… _do_ dates. I’m not ready for that, and maybe I never will.”

“You won’t know until you try, right?”

Biting on his lower lip, Sasuke looked down at Naruto’s hand, resting over the desk. He seemed to find great interest in it, but Naruto kept watching him attentively.

“I had a bad breakup with my wife, as you know, and I just got my divorce approved and am still fighting to keep Sarada’s custody,” Sasuke said, with solemnity. “I don’t think I’m cut out for such things. I was always a terrible friend, I sucked as a boyfriend and was an even worse husband. Still, it was me who wanted the divorce, but… maybe I’m just not suited to be anyone’s lover.”

“Or maybe you haven’t found a suitable lover for you yet,” Naruto muttered, with clear hope in his voice. “How can you be good if you’re not with the right person? The person you truly want to be with?”

At this, Sasuke closed his eyes and took a sharp intake of breath. “Even if you are suggesting what I assume you are… isn’t that just wishful thinking? We fucked up once already, Naruto.”

Boruto swallowed hard, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. He didn’t like the pained look on his teacher’s face at all.

“Hey.” When Naruto reached out again to run the knuckle of his index finger lovingly over Sasuke’s jaw, Boruto felt literally sick. “I’m sorry for being pushy. I don’t mean any harm, I just genuinely think that you need to loosen up a bit, and I want to be the one that helps you to. You can’t think that everything will be horrible in the future just because the past sucked. I just want to see you happy, Sasuke. And I think we deserve another chance. Don’t you?.”

Opening his eyes, Sasuke looked back up at the other man and nodded. “Maybe.”

The expression in his eyes was… so gentle. Caring. Admiring. Filled with…

Boruto didn’t think he had ever seen such an expression on another person’s face before, but was that… longing?

_Love?_

“I lost my wife not even three years ago, and I have two kids to take care of,” Naruto said sadly, as Sasuke grabbed for his wrist affectionately. A little shocked, Boruto watched as their hands moved together so their fingers could be linked, the action so synchronized he just knew it hadn’t been the first time they had done it at all. “I’m not exactly in an easy situation either. In fact, I was feeling pretty damn miserable until the day you showed up at this school and I got to see you again after all these years. It was as if… as if I had found hope, somehow, you know? As if life had given me another chance.”

“Don’t say that,” Sasuke said, in a whisper.

“But it’s true.” Boruto knew his father was smiling, even if he couldn’t see it. He wanted to see it, though. He wondered what kind of smile he offered Sasuke. Would it be kind and compassionate? Would it be simple and caring like he used to smile at his wife? Or would it be meaningful, secretive and filled with things he couldn’t say out loud? “You took care of my kids when I felt like there was little I could do to help them. We have history together, Sasuke. Back then, what happened between us… you remember that, don’t you?”

Sasuke released a small breath. “How could I possibly forget?”

Automatically, in mutual acknowledgement, their hands tightened around each other.

“We were such idiots,” Naruto chuckled. “For a long time I regretted not having pursued it, you know. And then our lives changed and we stopped getting along and I just…”

There was a moment where Sasuke’s walls crumbled down and his expression changed completely. Boruto couldn’t tell what it meant, but his mask fell and many things were left exposed, completely naked for Naruto to see. It was a breath-taking sight, but it chewed at the boy’s heart.

To think that his teacher would open up so smoothly for his father…

What… what exactly had happened between them in the past? How long had they known each other? Did they get involved at some point?

 “But those feelings… I never forgot about them. Ever. I still haven’t and they still burn me from inside out. And now you’re here. I don’t want to lose sight of you again.”

What about his mother? Boruto thought, desperately. What about Sarada’s mother? Was that why Sasuke had gotten a divorce; because he hadn’t loved her completely?

Boruto had no doubts that Naruto had loved his mother, Hinata, but he was just saying that he had never forgotten about Sasuke until this very day. He didn’t know what it meant, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. He wondered if his mother had known, but still…

She was dead, wasn’t she? And Sasuke was divorced. It wasn’t like Naruto and Sasuke acknowledging feelings brought forth from the past would have this crazy huge impact at this point. It wouldn’t make a difference. The past was as buried as Hinata and Sasuke’s marriage.

But it made a difference for Boruto. Because he was in love with Sasuke and he wanted to pursue him, somehow, someday. But if things were the way they were now... if Sasuke truly was in love with his father, then…

 “You won’t,” Sasuke promised, sincerely. “At least not if I can help it.”

As Naruto slowly slid from the table and crouched down beside Sasuke’s chair, Boruto felt like he wanted to flee, his fists tightly clenched over the wooden door. He felt like he’d suffocate if he witnessed anymore, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t look away.

“Look, I’m not asking anything of you,” Naruto said, looking up at Sasuke. Boruto could now see his profile clearly, and as expected, his father’s eyes reflected the same tumultuous feelings that had been so transparent in Sasuke’s. Their hands were still linked, but Naruto used his free hand to cup the other man’s cheek. Somehow, Boruto wanted for Sasuke to reject the touch, to push it away, but the action never came. Contrarily, the man actually nuzzled against the other’s palm as if it offered him some sort of comfort.

“No matter how long it takes for both of us to go back to that and to arrange our new lives around it,” Naruto muttered. “I will wait. Now, there’s five of us, it’s not just you and me, so I know it might take a while, and things might be very complicated at some point. But until then, I want to be close to you, and I want to be there for you. So please, just let me. Let me be your companion again, let me make you smile and share my dreams with you. Let me offer you hope, too.”

Sasuke swallowed hard and shook his head from side to side. This time, he offered Naruto a small, but truly beautiful smile. Boruto didn’t think he had ever seen his teacher smile like that, ever.

“You’re hopeless,” Sasuke said, leaning down and pressing his forehead against Naruto’s. The action was simple, but so very intimate it felt almost sinful to watch. Boruto just knew he wasn’t supposed to see this.

“You’re the one who texts me every single night,” Naruto pointed out, with a smile that was just as pure, just as gentle. “Am I wrong in thinking that you want me around, too? Even just a little?”

“No, you’re not wrong,” Sasuke muttered, now seriously, licking at his lips. “You know that.”

“Yeah, I do.”

Before the teen knew what was happening, his father had tilted his head up and captured the other man’s lips with his own. Boruto barely managed to bring a hand to his mouth before a gasp could escape.

Again, he had expected Sasuke to brush it off, to push him away, but it seemed like, when it came to his father, Sasuke just couldn’t turn away, neither did he feel inclined to.

In fact, Sasuke responded to the kiss without so much as a single second of hesitation. The kiss was slow and obviously slightly experimental, but it didn’t take long before both mouths were moving in perfect coordination until it was able to easily escalate and become deeper and hungrier, tongues meeting and once, twice as Sasuke’s hand came to grasp the back of Naruto’s head possessively. It was an obvious kiss of two people who been dancing around each other for a while and who had missed each other – missed the intimacy – and were finally giving in. It was natural and filled with tension, filled with emotion and things left unsaid, but somehow, Boruto knew they didn’t need to speak.

He had to close his eyes, his forehead resting against the door – it had become too much for him to bear.

He heard a small suctioning noise before Sasuke’s voice spoke, a little breathless but obviously content. “I thought we were just supposed to go slow, on friendly terms,” he muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

“Well, the mood was good, you see,” Naruto said, sounding both happy and a little sheepish.

“Yes, but it can’t happen again,” Sasuke said. “Not here, or at school, at least.”

The implication in those words was obvious.

“Well, I’ll try,” Naruto promised, playfully. “Now will you, please, go out with me for coffee after work, Sasuke? The making out part is out of the way, at least, so we can skip that if you want.”

Sasuke laughed. And how bright, resonating his laughter was. Sure Naruto revelled in it as much as Boruto did. But that laugh didn’t belong to just anyone, no.

“Alright,” Sasuke agreed. “But only until 7p.m. I want to be home by the time Sarada gets there after Judo practice.”

“Good enough.”

“And I’ll be the one judging whether our date is worth more making out or not.” It was Sasuke’s turn to tease now, and the low, clearly seductive tone he had used was also very unfamiliar to Boruto. “So you better make it worth my while, Usuratonkachi.”

Before he fell apart, Boruto bit on his lower lip hard and ran down the hall, far away from his father and the man they both loved.

He couldn’t take it.

So many things made sense now, and so many were just confusing.

What was this? Why had his life suddenly taken such a violent turn? Why had his dreams been shattered, his hopes trampled upon?

His father and Sasuke… they had a past together, and no matter what had happened between them, they hadn’t gotten over each other at all. They were still in love with each other to this very day, and it was obvious from the way they looked at each other and from the way they had talked to each other and touched, and kissed…

They wanted each other. And if things kept moving like this, it wouldn’t take long before they started a real relationship.

Was that why Sasuke had taken such a liking to Boruto and seemed to pay more attention to him than the other students? Because he was Naruto’s son?

Because he looked so much like Naruto?

Somehow, it hurt. But it wasn’t a bad kind of hurt, more like a small sense of devastation accompanied by understanding.

Sasuke cared because Boruto was the son of someone precious to him, thus someone precious as well. And that had meaning, didn’t it?

But if his father and Sasuke became lovers, then Sasuke would become someone who could be like his and Himawari’s second father and that was…

Boruto felt his eyes watering as he ran, outside of the school building and under the afternoon sun. He couldn’t breathe. There were so many questions inside his head, so many feelings inside his heart he didn’t know where to turn to.

Sasuke was so much older than him, and now, more unreachable than ever, and Boruto just knew that, the more he and his father rebuilt whatever bond they had had in the past, the farther away from his reach Sasuke would be.

_Why… why am I so young? Why am I so hopeless like this?_

_Why didn’t I see it before?_

He wanted to keep running until his muscles were aching and he had no strength left, but found himself stopping behind one of the buildings with his back against it as he panted heavily before slumping down, falling on his ass heavily.

Furiously, he wiped his eyes with both hands. His shitty old man, stealing Sasuke away from him, stealing his hopes, his goals…

He pushed his legs to his chest and hugged them protectively.

Boruto loved Sasuke. Some might say it was just a teenage crush, but he knew it wasn’t so. From the day Sasuke had set foot inside that classroom, he had felt a pull towards the man that was stronger than himself. Even before noticing that his dad had started getting along with him, Boruto was already trying to catch his teacher’s attention. Sasuke’s patience, his small smiles, the times he hit him across the head or when he ruffled his hair when he praised him.

Now he could see how Sasuke saw him, Boruto – as Naruto’s son, someone he felt drawn to, compelled to protect and take care of. But all these things had made Boruto cherish him, love him, want more from him. Because Naruto had been so busy, so sad, so distant, Boruto had relished in Sasuke’s caring. One could say that maybe he was mistaking those feelings for something else, but it wasn’t exactly like that, he knew.

He didn’t see that man as a father at all. Someone he looked up to? Yes, definitely. But there had been a sadness and loneliness in Sasuke’s eyes sometimes that made Boruto want to reach out and make it better, somehow.

Now, he understood that that sadness was equal to his father’s. He understood that, maybe, that sadness was something they had shared, even if apart, and that only they could erase with each other.

When they were looking at each other… that loneliness disappeared.

And that was… devastating.

Heaving a sigh, Boruto buried his face in his crossed arms.

His father… had been miserable since Hinata had died. Maybe, somehow, even before, only he always smiled, always tried his best. When looking at Sasuke, there was a light in his eyes that Boruto had never seen before. He didn’t know anything, but now, he understood that Naruto had longed for this man. This man made him happy, just as he had made Boruto happy. In different ways, but still, Sasuke had made an impact. Regardless of Sarada’s feelings or the mistakes he had made in the past, in their life, Sasuke meant something.

They had… waited for each other, even if unintentionally so. Boruto didn’t believe in fate, but somehow, it seemed impossible not to be a believer when two people in love that had been driven apart had come together once more at such a perfect time. Now they were free from past influences, free from matrimonial shackles, and both apparently wanting to re-kindle something that had been apparently lost but very much alive. Even after all these years.

Boruto knew nothing about them, neither did he want to know – his heart had already been broken enough.

Still, even if he felt sad, betrayed, shocked, frustrated, angry…

Was it really his place to feel strongly against it? Other than his own selfish reasons of wanting to win Sasuke’s heart because he proudly thought he could achieve it, was it really his place to feel anything at all, or even say anything against it?

His father had never hidden the fact that he was bisexual, so that wasn’t exactly the issue. It wasn’t like either Boruto or Himawari were stupid or selfish to the point of believing that their father had to mourn the death of Hinata forever and not find himself someone new.

_Did mother know about this?_

His feelings were just childish, he knew. It wasn’t like his father had to have said anything to them about his past with Sasuke when, clearly, they were still testing the waters around each other at this point.

_I’m such a child._

Naruto had fought so hard for them during these three years, Boruto knew this. Sometimes he was exhausted, and sometimes he was cranky and seemed distant, but he carried a heavy burden, and still, he tried to smile and indulge their whims whenever he could.

They had no external family to rely on – everyone was either living far away or dead. Naruto did the best he could as a single father of two, and Boruto acknowledged this, even though he threw tantrums and called him ‘shitty dad’ and basically just started every argument in the house because he wanted things to be good but didn’t know how to talk to his father without putting all the blame of every single issue in their lives on him. He wanted Naruto to be more present, more like the person he was when they had been kids, and it frustrated him when this didn’t happen.

But… his dad was a good man, a strong man, and he deserved to be happy. He deserved love, and peace and he… truly needed support from someone. Just like Sasuke, surely, did.  

They would be together. Naruto and Sasuke, at some point, surely…

_Who am I kidding? Could a kid like me ever get through to Sasuke? Not even at eighteen or twenty one… he would never see me. He would never take me seriously._

_I’m a million years too late._

_Would I ever even be more than the second best? My father’s clone?_

It was a bitter thought, but he knew it was painfully true.

_Shouldn’t it be enough that Sasuke is around? That he becomes family and…_

“Boruto?”

Startled, Boruto looked up to find Sarada crouching down in front of him, looking genuinely worried. Again, he rubbed at his eyes quickly, not wanting her to see him cry.

“What’s wrong?” she asked with concern, putting her hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze. This was what he liked about her – even though she had feelings for him, she never behaved like a stupid fan girl with a crush and knew how to keep things serious when they needed to be.

It sounded all so fateful all of a sudden. Naruto and Sasuke were in love, and Boruto was in love with Sasuke while Sarada was in love with Boruto. It almost made him laugh.

“Nee, Sarada-chan,” he mumbled instead, looking away from her. “Why did your parents get a divorce?”

Boruto wasn’t shy with words, and he knew Sarada liked him exactly because of that.

“Why, you say?” She mumbled, a frowning a little. Boruto had only seen her mother once, but Sarada truly took after Sasuke, because even the way she bit on her lower lip resembled him. “I guess you could say that… dad wasn’t happy.”

“But, weren’t they married for a long time?” Boruto asked, his curiosity peaked.

“Well, yes, but…” Sarada fumbled with the hem of her uniform skirt, the topic clearly making her gloomy. “I love dad; you know? But… my mom, she… he was never home, and he purposefully drowned in work. He never even kissed her that I’ve seen. But my mom, she always kept making excuses to protect him and it really pissed me off. But I guess… I don’t know, maybe dad was tired and my mom was just… keeping her faith in something that wasn’t real? So he thought it was better to get a divorce. He’s better now, at least as far as being a father is, but my mom…”

She trailed off, and heaved a sigh. “I guess he loved her but not in the way she thought he did for all those years, you know? And I sincerely think they should’ve broken up before, but this is just me.”

Boruto looked at her and pursed his lips together. It was just as he had thought. “Do you think that… maybe he was in love with someone else?”

To his surprise (or relief) Sarada didn’t seem completely taken aback by the question.

“Maybe he was,” she admitted, with a small shrug, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It doesn’t matter. I just want him and mom to be happy, even if away from each other. If dad wants someone else, then I hope his feelings reach the other person, I guess.” She looked at Boruto inquisitively and blushed slightly, probably realizing she had said too much. “Why are you asking such a thing? Not that I mind. I know you have your own… _issues_ , because of your mom and all that, so I understand if you sometimes want to talk, but…”

“I just…” Boruto interrupted her, somehow wanting to understand how it would be from then on if things were going to start changing soon. “Our parents are old friends; did you know?”

She didn’t seem surprised by this either. “Yes, it seems that way,” she said, with a small nod. “Your dad is a good man. My dad always says that.”

“He does, does he…” Boruto mumbled, scratching the back of his neck resignedly. “Did you know that my dad is… I guess you can say that he sort of… swings both ways? You know what I mean?”

Sarada tilted her head to the side, watching him thoughtfully, and the scrutinising way she stared, almost without blinkingly was terribly intense, just like Sasuke’s gaze. Only she didn’t close her expression off as much as her father did, and there was a softness to her eyes that she showed far more times than he usually did.

“Boruto, I have no interest in knowing such a thing,” she said, with a small smile. “It makes no difference to me.” She looked down to a small bug crawling next to her foot. “My dad seems to be happy that he has somehow reunited with yours. I don’t know a lot about it and I don’t ask because there are things I feel like I don’t want to know. But… I guess that it makes me happy seeing my dad feeling better these days, you know? That’s all it matters to me. And maybe your dad needed a bit of fresh air, as well? Don’t you think so, too?”

If Boruto had to be honest, Sarada’s wise choice of words certainly impressed him, and he couldn’t help but empathise with her feelings, somehow. She was a smart girl, so maybe she had already connected the dots now that Boruto had brought it up, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Well, that was somehow relieving. They would probably be becoming family sometime soon, and it would definitely be good to have someone who understood him by his side.

It was strange, but knowing that Sarada was this much aware of things even without having seen things the way Boruto had made him feel like, indeed, this was how things were supposed to be. Sarada understood him, and she understood their fathers. She understood their pain, it seemed, and how much their connection had brought them together unavoidably. Also, how them being around each other had brought something good to both their lives.

How she could’ve noticed it before he did truly had truly baffled him. He had been watching Sasuke for months on end and still, so blind by fascination and love had he been that he had completely ignored his father and what he did to Sasuke when around him.

He had been blind all along.

Boruto didn’t think that Sarada was ready to talk about it, but then again, neither was he – not when his heart had been stolen and trampled upon, forcing his own desires and longings to be blown away by the wind. But the remaining bits of it all would still linger, and so would his feelings. He still had so many thoughts going around in his head, and the future was still uncertain, so it was too soon to predict it or to make plans.

But at least he wasn’t alone. At least things didn’t seem dire, and if Sarada was mature like this, level-headed like this, surely there would be no doubt that a good balance would be achieved, eventually, and that things would be alright. Boruto himself would be alright, someday.

Because… truly, there were things more important that he had disregarded, things that needed to be worked on, things that needed to be achieved. Maybe Sasuke and Sarada had come to help them achieve them and maybe whatever it was that was coming would be far greater than Boruto’s feelings on the matter, or even his feelings for Sasuke.

No, he was sure of it. He didn’t know how he knew this, but he did.

 _Himawari will be the one to freak out_ , Boruto thought, chuckling to himself. With his sister’s fiery temper, things would be wild for a while, no doubt about it. But they’d manage, wouldn’t they. They always had.

_That’s what families are for… and ours will apparently grow._

“You seem to be in a better mood,” Sarada said with a larger smile, straightening up so she was standing. She looked at her watch. “We still have five minutes until lunchtime is over. You need to eat.”

She stretched her hand out to him and he stared at it, hesitantly. He didn’t understand his feelings at all, they were so confusing. But he felt calmer, and he knew that he felt extremely grateful for Sarada’s presence and understanding.  

With a smile, he reached out for Sarada’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

Yeah, it would be alright.

_You better make sure you make him happy, you shitty old man. Make it worth it every single day of your life. If you screw this up, I will never forgive you. But if it works and the two of you are happy, then…_

_I’ll back you up no matter what._

These were things Boruto would tell Naruto someday, further down the road, when things settled down and those two became official. He looked forward to teasing his dad into madness until the day came when he’d spill the beans. Nothing would change, for now.

After all… he needed his revenge for the heartbreak.

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> This is was just me indulging my own intellect and curiosity towards writing Boruto's character. I admit that this had a different vibe when I started writing it, but after reading the Boruto Novel, I had to change many things because my perspective of his character was greatly changed.
> 
> This was supposed to be more BoruSasu centred, but ended up with SasuNaruSasu being the focal point. No surprise there *rolls eyes at self*
> 
> But you can totally imagine that Sasuke and Naruto will live happily ever after with their new family and that Boruto and Sarada will eventually live a wonderful romance and be very happy together. That's how I envision the ending for this story ;)
> 
> Thank you for reading! And thank you all for the wonderful support and for reading my fics! I love you all to bits!


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